Britain’s reliance on fossil fuels has increased for the first time in four years, dealing a major blow to Ed Miliband’s Net Zero hopes of decarbonising the grid by 2030. The Telegraph has more.
Gas-fired power plants generated 26.8% of power in 2025, a rise of 1.1% from the year prior, according to new figures from the Government’s National Energy System Operator (Neso).
This stemmed largely from reduced nuclear output across Britain, as the country’s nine remaining reactors were hit by technical faults and unplanned blackouts.
The latest figures also revealed that the UK relied on imports for up to 14% of its electricity last year, with London and the South East frequently powered by energy from France.
Increased reliance on fossil fuels and continued imports from overseas will raise fresh scrutiny over the Energy Secretary’s goal of attaining clean power by 2030.
To achieve this, Mr Miliband has vowed to spend billions of pounds on intermittent renewables such as wind and solar farms, with the cost of this expansion set to be passed through to households and businesses.
Claire Coutinho, the Shadow Energy Secretary, has accused Mr Miliband of needlessly driving up bills and putting the country’s energy security at risk.
She said: “What this data shows is that we need reliable, 24/7 power for when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine – and that means more nuclear and more gas.
“Ed Miliband’s plan to build more wind and solar farms than ever before will do nothing to power our economy on a cold, windless, cloudy day.
“His ideological approach to energy policy means British families are going to continue to see their bills rise, jobs lost overseas, and the risk of blackouts increase.”
The Energy Department hit back by blaming the previous government for “years of dither and delay on new nuclear”, with a spokesman claiming that this left the country reliant on power plants dating back to the 1960s.
Total nuclear output fell from 13.7% of UK generation in 2024 to 11.8% last year, the latest Neso figures show, with a string of plant failures to blame.
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